Still Broken
by Alice O'flynn
Summary: When Marinette's heart is broken by Adrien. And Chat Noir falls in love with Marinette.


**I do not, and never will own Miraculous Ladybug.**

It had been a year, one full year, since Marinette got over her obsession with Adrien Agreste. Unfortunately, though, that didn't mean she talked to him now. They were not friends, decidedly not friend. And she would avoid him more often than not. She was angry, but she couldn't hate him, she couldn't really hate anyone, that's just not who she was. And Unfortunately Adrien didn't notice the change at first. He didn't notice how she didn't talk to him, he didn't notice how she agreed to change seats with Chloe, so that she wouldn't have to look at the back of his head. He didn't really notice the precise moment her eyes lost their shine. The only thing he seemed to notice, was how differently Alya acted.

The first year that they were in school, Alya was always trying to get him and Nino to hang out with her and Marinette. He always thought it was just because Alya wanted to hang out with Nino as much as possible. And He didn't mind it. He wanted to become friends with Marinette. He tried to talk to her as much as possible, but she never seemed to get more than a sentence out whenever he was around. He tried his hardest to become friends with her, but she didn't seem to be having it, and he wondered if he had completely ruined his chance to be her friend, when they first met. Since they had gotten off to a really bad start, though it wasn't really his fault, he had been trying to redeem himself in her eyes ever since. But she still didn't talk to him. And whenever she did, she was stuttering so much, seemed so nervous, like she just wanted to run away, that they didn't really have a full conversation.

He had gotten tired of trying. He decided that if he wanted to be her friend, he would have to wait for her to come to him. So he stopped trying so hard. He didn't know how that affected her. He didn't see how she stopped looking at him during class.

The only one who noticed the effects it had on Marinette, was Alya. Alya was the one who suggested they changed seats. Alya was the one who helped her. The girl who just wanted to see Marinette happy, stopped mentioning Adrien all together. She hated how sad Marinette's eyes were, whenever Adrien's name was mentioned. When the girl's eyes filled with unshed tears when the model entered the room. And the way the blue haired girl's shoulders slumped whenever she went into deep thought.

It took less than a week for all the pictures of Adrien to come down from Marinette's walls, with Alya's insistence. Marinette didn't have a problem with that, whenever she saw the pictures she wanted to cry. The photos were taken down, and ripped up. It had taken a month for Alya to convince Marinette to switch seats in class. It was six months before Adrien started trying to be her friend again. He missed her bright smile, and sparkling eyes. But when he tried to talk to her, she ignored him. Just like she had done when they first met. And he wondered what he had done. Seven months before Adrien tried to get the four friends together, and Alya said that she was spending the day with Marinette, and was too busy. Eight months before Adrien started visiting Marinette as Chat Noir, desperate to figure out what he had done wrong, desperate to see her smile again, and desperate to be her friend. And it was only nine months after Marinette had given up on Adrien that he fell head over heels in love with his shy classmate.

Chat Noir was sitting on Marinette's bed, as she was working on one of her latest designs. He watched how her hair shone in the artificial light, with a smile. She was beautiful, truly beautiful, and he wondered why he had never noticed it while they were in school together.

"Marinette?" He asked, when he noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Yes, Chat?" Marinette looked up, wiping the wetness from her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" He pulled her close to him, setting her in his lap, as he wiped away one of her tears.

"I was just thinking." Marinette leaned into Chat's hand, looking tired.

"About what?"

"I….. I don't want to talk about it."

"That's alright, Purrincess."

"Please not today, no puns, please." She cried. She could barely deal with how he was acting towards her. He was kind, loving, sweet, gentle. And at that moment, she couldn't handle it. There was something wrong about how she was acting, Chat knew, since she was usually happy when he was around as Chat. And she didn't seem this sad that morning at school, when he greeted her, and complimented her on her outfit of choice. She seemed cold, like she usually was around Adrien.

"What's wrong?"

"Today at school….. I…...I….. He…" Marinette stuttered through her tears. "You deserve better than me. You deserve someone who can love you like… Chaton, I… I…. Care for you, but…. But you deserve better….."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't do it, not again. I can't get myself involved… My heart is closed… Broken…. Adri…. I mean, He…. He broke me… And I haven't healed… Not yet….. I'm sorry." She placed her head on his chest, the tears that slipped down her cheeks were coming slower, but she still seemed so defeated.

"Tell me about HIM," Chat's voice was gentle, it hurt him to see her in so much pain.

"Why?" She hiccuped.

"I just want to know."

"What can I say? He was too good for me. And I think he knew it. He was so obviously too good for me. He is talented, kind, smart, and amazing. He made me laugh, and smile, he was one of the kindest people I knew. That alone can make a lonely girl fall in love. When I first got to know him, that's when I fell for him, he was genuine, not what I would expect. My best friend tried to help me with him, she knew how I loved him. She also knew how clumsy and awkward I was around him. But even with her help, it didn't work. I couldn't even talk to him. Then… He stopped trying… He no longer came up to me, no longer tried to talk to me. I know it was my fault, because I could barely talk to him. But still… It hurt. It broke me. It's worse than straight up rejection. He just…. Ignored me. If only he knew. If only he knew that the only reason I fell in love with green eyes, was because I saw kindness in them. The only reason I started liking blonde hair, was because it belonged to him. And his smile… Oh, his smile was what I loved the most. Because I could see his personality plain as day in his smile. Maybe if he knew all of this, he would have kept trying. Maybe if he knew how lonely I was, how shy I was, he would have given me more of a chance. If only I hadn't fallen in love with the first kind smile that came my way. If only I hadn't been so stupid. I'm glad he doesn't know how broken he left me. I'm glad he doesn't know how much I think of him still. How much I love him still. I thought I was over him, I really did. But my heart is still bleeding. He broke me, and I've never recovered."

"He was an idiot," Chat said, with a hiss. He hated seeing his princess so upset. He wanted to know who broke her heart, though he had a sinking suspicion that it was him. But he had to hear it from her. He had to know if he was the idiot who broke her heart so irrevocably. "Who….. Who was he?"

Marinette didn't say anything, she simply stood up, and walked over to her desk. Picking up a worn picture that Alya had taken about a year ago. One that Alya devised to get Marinette and Adrien together. The picture was of them smiling, Adrien laying his hand on Marinette's shoulder. She was giving the peace sign, and she remembered how in the picture, she was freaking out, but was still able to act calm. The picture had been torn up, but taped back together. You could see spots of water damage where Marinette's tears had landed on it. She handed the picture to Chat, and his face crumpled.

"I…. I…" Chat stammered, _How can I make it up to her? How can I possibly apologize for all of this? Will she ever forgive me? I really am an idiot._ "I'm sorry… I…. I… I can't even begin to apologize, I don't know if I can ever make it up to you. If only I knew… If only I understood. I'm an idiot. A horrible idiot. I'm sorry. I'll do everything I can to make it up to you, if only you'll forgive me." Marinette looked at him like he was speaking gibberish. Getting off his lap, so she could look him in the eyes.

"What?" She said, her brain working overtime. What was he apologizing. Chat looked into her eyes, and suddenly realized that she didn't know he was Adrien.

"Oh… I guess I have to explain something." He said looking guilty. "Plagg, Claws in," He said, transforming back into Adrien without breaking eye contact with her. "I'm sorry…. I was an idiot. Will you please let me explain?... And maybe…. Forgive me." Adrien said, and the girl in front of him looked like she was going to faint. "I…. I didn't know. I thought you still disliked me from the gum incident. I wanted to be your friend, but I didn't want to push you. That's why I stopped trying. I was tired of getting nowhere. I'm sorry, so sorry. I love you, please forgive me."

"You…. You love me?" The girl asked, sitting back down next to Adrien.

"With all my heart."

"I… I forgive you." The girl said, laying her head on his shoulder. She was very forgiving, after all. "But I thought you loved Ladybug."

"I do care about her, don't get me wrong, she's my best friend. But I love you."

"How can you? I'm so ordinary compared to her."

"You are anything but."

"But…"

"Nothing you can say will convince me that you're ordinary. You are amazing, and I love you."


End file.
